The Quest for Women's Rights in the Bolshevik Revolution
The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia, led by the likes of Krúpskaya and Samoilova, was a groundbreaking chapter in history, marked by their pioneering efforts for gender equality alongside the quest for socialism, rejecting the label of “feminist”.
Our story is an unusual one, filled with the unyielding spirit of revolution and the pioneering push for gender equality. Forget the well-trodden paths of history; this is a tale of the Bolshevik Revolution, as seen through the lens of Karl Marx's intriguing notion: “The degree of progress of a society can be measured by the equality between men and women in it.”
Picture a world where inequality reigned supreme, where the very fabric of society was woven with threads of discrimination. The old Russian social structure, under the watchful eye of the Tsars, was deeply divided and unforgiving. Women were relegated to the shadows, with no access to public education and a life limited to domestic chores. The term “batrachka” referred to the peasant women hired as temporary wives, only to be discarded when their usefulness waned. In this world, the Orthodox church held a monopoly over registrations and education, while divorce was but a fantasy for men.
